


Sleep, Little One

by Morgan Aleghieri (morganaleghieri)



Series: Seteth Birthday Bash one-shots [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Baby, F/M, Fluff, Not Beta Read, Post-War, SetethBB2020, Setleth, Singing, i didn't have it in me to write a whole sea shanty, the mermaid by great big sea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28288179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganaleghieri/pseuds/Morgan%20Aleghieri
Summary: Seteth Birthday Bash Day 3 - Guardian/SongSeteth is having trouble getting his child to sleep.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Series: Seteth Birthday Bash one-shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072082
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26
Collections: Seteth Birthday Bash 2020





	Sleep, Little One

“Shh shh shh, sleep little one. _Please_ sleep, my dearest.” The child’s little cries did not abate. Seteth closed his eyes as he gently rocked the distressed infant, her wails a dull knife boring into his temple. He loved being a father again, of course – truly he did – but he had forgotten the very specific fatigue that accompanied that pleasure. He felt nearly delirious and his eyes burned. Had Flayn cried this much? Surely… Surely not. Had she? Seteth stared into the middle distance as he attempted to comprehend the gulf of time between his daughters.

He looked at the infant in his arms and sighed, before pushing himself up from his chair. The movement seemed to soothe her a little, but nothing had worked for long. He racked his mind, desperate for a solution. Lullabies had always soothed Flayn when she was young, but this child was indifferent to them. But then… Byleth’s singing seemed to charm the babe. Seteth frowned as he puzzled over where they differed. He enjoyed listening to Byleth sing, but as a life-long mercenary, she was not a confident singer, and her characteristic neutral speaking tone coloured her singing voice. She didn’t know many of the hymns, or many lullabies for that matter – most of the songs she knew by rote were…

Seteth pursed his lips and looked at his daughter with bemusement.  
“Are you quite serious, my little one?” A hiccoughing cry was her only response. He pinched his eyes shut for a moment and let out a resigned huff. “Oh, Caoimhe, my little love… The things you make me do.” He looked around self consciously for a moment then took a deep breath.

 _“When I was a lad in a fishing town, my father said to me…”_ he quietly intoned, looking to her reaction. _“You can spend your life – your jolly life – just sailing on the sea.”_ Seteth held his breath as her cries seemed to ease. Still she whimpered, but she looked up at him with an endearing bewilderment. Emboldened, he continued – gently bouncing her in time with the song.

_“You can search the world for pretty girls,  
Til your eyes are weak and dim -  
But don't go searching for a mermaid, son,  
If you don't know how to swim!”_

Her whimpers had subsided, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed. Sleep was still a long way off perhaps, but even this felt a victory. _Dignity be damned,_ he thought as he pressed on. She continued to stare up at him in rapt attention – and then, as he reached the end of the chorus, she made a sound that caused his heart to do a little leap.

She giggled.

\-----

_“Yes, her hair was green as seaweed,  
Her skin was blue and pale,  
Her legs they are a work of art,  
I love that girl with all my heart,  
And I don't give a damn about the upper part,  
'Cause that's how I get my –"_

A quiet huff of laughter caught his attention, and Seteth stopped mid step. The infant in his arms now gurgled happily, and while heat creeped up his neck at being caught, he still couldn’t help but smile. He turned to the door where Byleth stood. Her own fatigue was written plain on her face and in her posture, but somehow she was still the most radiant creature he ever had seen. He stepped gently to meet her, and she bent towards their daughter, letting her little fists latch onto her fingers.

“Seteth, I’m surprised at you,” she murmured, her thin smile belying a greater mirth. “Since when do you sing tavern songs?” He chuckled softly.  
“I do not often sing them, but I know more than my fair share. I have had a great many years to learn.” He leaned over to place a kiss on her brow. “Regardless, our daughter seems to delight in them – and if they soothe her tears, then I will gladly perform them for her.”  
“If you are performing your tavern songs for little Caoimhe, do you think you can sing a lullaby for me?” Byleth leaned into his shoulder and brushed her hand delicately over the fine wisps of dark hair on the baby’s head.

“Always, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song Seteth is singing in this is "The Mermaid" by Great Big Sea. I really wanted to actually write a bawdy sea shanty but I do not have the brain cells for lyrics right now. This is one of my favourites though, and I thought it would be fun.
> 
> Caoimhe is pronounced Kee-va.


End file.
